Adjustable plate holders and the like



Aug. 11, 1959 L. ZAVOLNER ADJUSTABLE PLATE HOLDERS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1956 United States atent ADJUSTABLE PLATE HOLDERS AND THE LIKE Leo Zavolner, Brooklyn, NY.

Application February 9, 1956, Serial No. 564,567. g

5 Claims. 01. 248-30 The present invention relates to improvements in hangers for plates. Plates are hung in interior design to lend ornamentation or they are hung in show rooms and stores to be displaced as merchandise. These hangers may also be used to display shallow boxes, plaques, discs andthe'like. Said hangers are particularly of the type having a plurality of bent fingers or hooks which hold but do not mar the article held. The hooks are in spaced relation around the periphery of the article held and include spring means to hold some of the hooks resiliently.

Heretofore, a user would have to buy the various hangers he needed and would choose their size. A hanger of one size could not accommodate articles of different size. A dealer would have to stock three or four different sizes of hangers.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved hanger of the character mentioned which can accommodate plates or other articles of different sizes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hanger of the type mentioned of novel and improved construction, afiording economy in manufacture.

A further object thereof is to provide a novel and improved plate holder and the like which is easy to adjust and efficient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For the practice of this invention, a form thereof may comprise a central strip adapted to be hung on a wall vertically. A pair of arms which may be of wire, extend downwardly divergently from the bottom region of said strip, one arm to each side thereof. The free end of each of said arms is bent upwardly forwardly to form a hook in which the article is to seat. These arms are usually curved so that their free ends are forward of the plane of the central strip. There is a unit comprising four components, namely a pair of spaced helical coil tension springs, vertically positioned and a member which may be of wire and W-shaped, and also a member which may be of wire and V-shaped. The free ends of the W-shaped piece are bent forwardly to provide hooks to engage the article to be held. The upper ends of the coil springs are mounted to the lower bends in the W-shaped piece respectively while the lower ends of said springs are mounted to the free ends of the V-shaped piece. The apex of the V-shaped piece hooks on detachably to the central strip at any one of selected points along said strip, thereby adjusting the hanger to accommodate plates or other articles of various sizes. The hanger may be hung on the wall either from the central strip or the central bend of the W-shaped piece.

Heretofore, each end of each of the coil springs was provided with an eye or hook for assembly with the V-shaped and W-shaped pieces. In this invention, such eyes are not used. No work is done on the spring in manufacture other than cutting it to its required length.

2 Attachment is made by lacing the wire pieces through one or more of the end turns of the coils.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, similar characters or reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a hanger for plates and the like, embodying the teachings of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the central strip member in'- cluded in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of a hanger of modified construction.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the W-shaped piece.

Fig. 5. is a front view of the V-shaped piece included in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a side view of Fig. 5. V

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally a central strip which may have a hole 16 near its top so that it can be hung vertically on a wall. This strip carries along its length, a series. of spaced downward hooks which may be formed by the lugs 17 struck from the strip body. From near the. bottom of said strip, there extends the downwardly divergent arms 18 which may be the armsof a V-shaped. piece of wire which is welded or otherwise suitablysecured to said strip 15'. These arms 18, lie one to each side edge'of said strip and are bent so that their free ends are forward of the plane of such strip. Said free ends are formed with a hook 18 each, to support the rim of a plate above them.

The numeral 20 is a unitary structure comprising a pair of spaced uprightly positioned helical tension coil springs 21. Said coil springs are bridged at their lower ends by a V-shaped wire piece 22 in the embodiment illustrated, while the upper ends of said springs are bridged by a W-shaped wire piece 23. Attachment of these wire pieces to the springs are preferably made by lacing said wire pieces through one or more turns of the respective spring; such turns being the end turns. The free ends of the V-piece are thus laced through one or more bottom end turns of the springs 21 respectively, and formed with an eye 22' each. The upper ends of the springs are at the bottom bends 23' of the W-shaped piece 23 respectively. The distal ends of the W-shaped piece are formed with inverted hooks 23", to engage the rim of the plate which is supported in the upright hooks 18'.

To use the hanger indicated generally by the numeral 25, for a given plate, thestructure 20 is taken in hand and the V-shaped piece 22 is made to engage a hook 17 at its vertex; the hook 17 chosen being that one whereby the circle passing through the bights of the hooks 18', 23", is a little smaller than the plate to be hung. Such plate (not shown) is now set with its rim within the bights of the hooks 18 and 2 which of course causes the springs 21 to be stretched and thereby put under stress. The plate is thus tightly held and the hanger 25 may then be hung on a nail in a wall, either through the hole 16 in the central strip 15 or in the central crotch 23", of the W-shaped piece 23.

Instead of having a plurality of spaced hooks 17 on the central strip for engagement of the structure 20, the central strip may be as shown at 30, provided with a series of spaced holes 31, while the V-shaped piece is of the form shown at 32, provided with a hook 33 at its crotch.

It is evident that either of the hangers 25 or 25 may be used to hang plates of different sizes by changing the position of the unitary structure 20 or 20' along the central strip 15 or 30 as the case may be.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein be deemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

1. In a plate hanger or the like, an elongated central, vertically disposed member, a pair of arms extending from the bottom region of said member, one to each side thereof respectively; the free end of each of said arms having a 3. The article as defined in claim 2, wherein the first element is provided with a central bight for engagement of said hooks along the central member.

4. The article as defined in claim 1, wherein the mentioned means is provided by having a series of holes in the central member, in spaced relation therealong and an upwardly extending hook on the first element; said hook being adapted to engage the central member through any one of said holes.

5. The article as defined in claim 1, wherein the elements for their connection to the springs, lie between successive turns near the end of the coil they are respectively associated with and extend through the end portions of 7 said coils and outward of such coil ends respectively.

of the plate below them and meanson the first element and the central member, aflfording that the first element be detachably hooked onto said central member at any of various positions along the central member, whereby the hanger is made to accommodate plates of diflterent sizes, one at a time.

2. The article as defined in claim 1, wherein the mentioned means is provided by having a series of spaced, downwardly extending hooks along the central member; said first element being adapted to be engaged by any of such hooks, one at a time.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 711,056 Larkin Oct. 14, 1902 797,451 'McBryde Aug. 15, 1905 928,132 Kaufman July 13, 1909 2,604,286 Meline July 22, 1952 2,614,778 Graves Oct. 21, 1952 2,658,705 Whitman Nov. 10, 1953 2,737,361 Petzke Mar. 6, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS I 678,629 Great Britain Sept. 3, 1952. 

